title: Familial hemifacial spasm.
abstract: Three male patients in successive generations of the same family developed acquired left-sided hemifacial spasm. Magnetic resonance imaging of the proband demonstrated a pontine vertebral artery anomaly near the root of the affected facial nerve. This family and a similar family that was recently presented illustrate several interesting features: (1) hemifacial spasm, from whatever cause, may be autosomal dominant; (2) the spasms involve the same side of the face in affected individuals within an affected family; and (3) the age of onset in familial cases may be younger than in nonfamilial cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Cullen Eye Institute, Houston, Tex.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Patrinely
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jankovic
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: McCrary
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boniuk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005152:Facial Muscles; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D013035:Spasm / Q000235:genetics*